my first memory peter: Sitting down with him in his office at the Boeufs du Nord in Paris, early 1990, when he told the story of storm And told me about the character of Miranda. More than what she said, I was struck by her dazzling appearance, her piercing blue eyes, and her vivacity. It was the start of a new and grand adventure for my 14-year-old self. They opened the doors to a brave new world for me, filled with the most amazing people, places and stories.
a few months later, we had our first storm Workshop, with a selected group of mixed ethnicities. Not once did we touch the script or the story, for a week we spent whole days doing physical and vocal exercises, and playing a variety of games. We listened to each other’s stories and languages, we sang and danced together, we performed little skits in imaginary languages or without words. It was a place of endless possibility, of exploration and experimentation, of playfulness, without inhibitions or judgments, and always in complete focus.
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Everything we did every day, and every single member of the circle, was in awe of their boundless creativity, independence, and willingness to throw themselves into anything. Many of them had worked with Peter over the years, and they ignited with a special intensity. I, on the other hand, was extremely shy, the youngest of the group, and always the last to join any improv or drills.
the ‘vibrancy’ of imagination
Peter was the force that moved us, the heart around which everything pulsated and came to life. From him emanated absolute calmness and gentleness, and yet tremendous intensity: a combination that I found deeply compelling. I spent a lot of time watching him attentively, mesmerized by how he moved between deep meditation and almost childlike laughter.
Peter Brook (left) with his actors Romain Boehringer (right) and Ken Higelin during rehearsals for ‘The Tempest’ | photo credit: AFP
That exhilarating first week opened to a year of rehearsals, world travel, and performing together. Unforgettable! storm It was a magical performance and the audience was mesmerized by it.
That one year profoundly changed and shaped me, in more ways than I could fathom. I remember Peter explaining in the interview that one of the reasons he chose me as Miranda was because of my training classical indian dance, In addition to the obvious physical discipline involved, he explained how that training had given me a certain quality of awareness and sensitivity to my presence and body language, and how it had taught me to put myself apart and embody characters and stories. .
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Peter was always very gentle and patient with me. He used to explain things to me in a way that I could relate to. He used to say, “When you dance, you know how you keep your body in a certain posture according to each varna? You’ll have to find a suitable seat for Miranda as well.” I listened to his words and tried to make sense of them to the best of my ability. I threw myself into the task with the apparent confidence of a 14-year-old.
Fast forward 10 years, and I was once again at the Bouffs du Nord, this time playing Ophelia in English for a production of Peter the tragedy of hamlet, Another year of exciting rehearsals, tours and performances with another fabulous troupe. This time I was even more moved by Peter’s words, always amazed at how he could explain complex ideas so clearly and simply. He used to say, “Theatre is like life, but in a compressed time and space. To make that work, high intensity and high quality are required.
I tried my best to implement everything he said, such as bringing quality and truth to every word and every gesture, and allowing emotion to arise instead of “playing”. He talked about the importance of timing, musicality and rhythm, stillness and silence, full attention and being sensitive to every detail. He talked about the vibrancy of imagination and the paramount importance of listening deeply to each other.
Shantala Shivalingappa | photo credit: Coen Bros.
I could easily relate to all of this as a dancer, but it was quite a different and challenging exercise to embody a complex and dramatic character like Ophelia. I threw myself into bringing it to life with the gusto of a 24-year-old girl.
question the craft
Ten years later, I find myself once again in a rehearsal room in Paris with Peter and his troupe of actors the tightrope, a film by his son Simon Brooke, in which the camera was supposed to capture some of Peter’s work process, namely his famous exercises. It was an intense and joyous week where we had the luxury of devoting ourselves to discovering the craft of theater without any performances to prepare. And Peter felt the same way.
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To be able to work with him once again was such a gift. I was reminded of the power of working with a minimum of things and the ‘vibrancy’ of imagination: some bamboo sticks made stormOf the shipwreck, some of the rugs and cushions were Hamlet’s castle, and the same carpet became a row-high rope.
After that I met Peter several times. He loved telling and telling stories, and took a keen interest in what I was doing; He was always full of humor and lightness. The last time I met him was in February 2020 for his performance at the Bouffs du Nord. tempest project, He spoke little, but was as warm as ever.
Peter throws himself passionately and relentlessly into life and theatre, constantly questioning the craft, exploring and discovering entirely new dimensions. He transformed people and ignited their spirits, changing the way we approach, see, think and create theatre. What an extraordinary creature. What an extraordinary life. And what a privilege it is that we get to know him and see some of that greatness basking in his glorious aura.
For Peter now ‘the rest is silence’. For us, his tremendous presence will continue to shine through the silence.
The writer is a Kuchipudi and contemporary dancer, choreographer and occasional actor.